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Performance Parts for Your Traxxas Slash 2WD Short Course Truck
For this installment of Hop Up Corner, we’re going to check out some of the best upgrades for your Traxxas Slash 2WD Short Course Truck. Because this truck comes in many different flavors (brushed, brushless, standard chassis, low-CG chassis, etc), we’re going to pick some parts that will work across all of the platforms. Let’s dive in!
Suspension
One of the best suspension upgrades for any 2WD Slash is Proline’s ProTrac Suspension Kit. It includes a bag of bolt-on parts that dramatically improves the handling of the Slash, increasing forward traction and cornerspeed. It also makes the Slash much easier to drive fast due to it’s consistent feel. The kit includes a pair of front and rear suspension arms, front and rear shock towers, rear hub carriers, 50mm camber links, 70mm steering links and a set of 4 ProTrac Split Six wheels. Tires are not included, but we’ve added those farther down the list. While it will work with both the high-CG and low-CG chassis, you’ll notice the biggest improvement with the low-CG setup.
Electronics
When it comes to electronics, Traxxas has done a great job of stuffing the Slash with all the right stuff. The only thing I can suggest upgrading is the battery; dump the NiMh and go with something like the Traxxas 5800mAh 2S LiPo Battery. The included 7-cell NiMh pack is good and is great in the beginning, but the moment you drop in a 2S LiPo, you’ll be greeted with an immediate boost in speed and runtime. The stock VXL ESC can handle both – in fact, it can handle a 3S LiPo if you’re looking for a serious adrenaline rush! The only downside – you might have to upgrade your charger as well (see below).
Drivetrain
The Slash comes with a grease-filled gear differential in the transmission. This diff does a good job of controlling traction – for a while. You’ll soon notice that rear grip will become limited the more you drive mainly because the grease in the diff is getting flung around and will cease to slow down the diff action. There are a few how-to’s on the web (including one here http://www.competitionx.com/rc-how-tos/seal-a-stock-traxxas-slash-differential/) that instruct you on how to seal the diff, but why go through all that trouble if you can just drop in a race-level ball differential. MIP’s Super Ball Differential is one such item, and it allows you to adjust it’s tension (or traction) depending on the surface you are running on. You should definitely consider one of these if you plan to get competitive with your Slash!
Body
The body on the Slash is modeled after the 1:1 scale Short Course trucks with some even featuring Traxxas’ new OBA (OnBoard Audio). While it looks and sounds cool, that extra weight up high can play havoc with handling. If you can part with it, installing a body with a more slippery design will shed some weight and increase performance. There are many to choose from, including the Proline’s Flo-Tek Body. This body features vent holes throughout that can be cut to allow the air to escape, helping your truck jump better and reducing the chance of ‘parachuting’. Parachuting happens when air gets under the body when you leave the ground and can limit it’s jumping distance and, in a lot of cases, cause your truck to blow-over backwards. Most bodies, including this one, come clear so you can add your own wild paint job, further customizing your truck.
Wheels/Tires
I typically suggest pre-mounted tires for projects like this but since the Proline ProTrac Suspension kit comes with wheels, we’re going to forgo those and head straight for the tires. As a rule of thumb, tires are roughly 75% of your trucks handling; the wrong tire can kill a good setup while the right tire can make a bad setup driveable. Before purchasing, decide where you’re going to be running and see if you can find out what tires work best. If you’re unsure, I suggest getting something like Proline Blockade M3 Short Course Tires. They work equally well on most surfaces including hard packed to loose and loamy dirt. Tread wear is also pretty good.
Accessory
If you’re upgrading to the Traxxas LiPo battery, you’re probably going to need a charger upgrade as well. If you do choose the Traxxas LiPo, make sure it uses the new iD charging system (it will say on the package). Why, do you ask? Well, the iD system works with the new Traxxas EZ-Peak Plus iD Fast Charger! This charger is crazy-cool; simply put, you plug your pack into the charger and it recognizes what type of pack it is and optimizes the charging settings! No messing around with plugs and balance boards! I’ve used one of these with my Traxxas iD packs and it’s pretty awesome!
So there you have it, six upgrades for your Traxxas Slash 2WD that will turn it into a raging track monster! If you have any questions, feel free to post them. In the meantime, I hope this article has helped you make some decisions to boost the performance of your Traxxas Slash. Good luck!
Like to see another car featured? Shoot us a message using the form on the Hop-Up Corner Request Page and we’ll get it added to the queue!
Links
Traxxas – www.traxxas.com
MIP – www.miponline.com
Proline Racing – www.prolineracing.com
